Balloon catheter systems for percutaneous angioplasty are well known. The catheter can be introduced to the coronary artery through the femoral artery. A guide wire is initially positioned within the coronary artery and a dilation catheter is advanced into the coronary artery over the guide wire. Near the tip of the distal end of the dilation catheter is a deflated distensible balloon, which can be inflated with fluid. The inflated balloon can compress a stenosis towards the wall of the vessel. In another example, the catheter can be introduced over a guide wire into the femoral artery from a percutaneous access site in the contralateral femoral artery. Subsequent balloon inflation can compress a stenosis towards the wall of the vessel.
In the treatment of longer stenoses, the balloon lengths, and any associated lengths, are necessarily increased. During treatment, inflation of the balloon can cause the catheter to undesirably bow or bend, which can result in possible damage to the vessel wall. The bowing or bending of the catheter can result in permanent deformation of a pre-mounted stent associated with the catheter. Accordingly, there remains a need to develop a catheter useful for the treatment of longer arterial vessels.